Personal Projects | Jewel Baker’s Creative Journey

My name is....

Introduction

My name is… a bridge. I was named after my father’s mother, Jewel— a name filled with strength, beauty, and legacy.

But the grandmother who shaped my soul was my mother’s mother, Ama. I called her that since I couldn’t pronounce “Grandma”

before I knew it meant grandmother, nurturer, source in many cultures.

My spirit knew her, even before language could. This moment is part of my project,“My Name Is…” — a personal series featuring

my mom, dad, little sister, niece, and boyfriend.

It explores how the names we carry are shaped by those who came before us, and how our lived experiences

continue to expand that meaning. It also highlights how people will only view us by our name, and not know our stories.

We’re known for our characteristics, Helpful, Energetic, Authentic, etc.,

but we may not know the stories behind that.

Artist Statement

"My name is..." is a personal project featuring five people who are my Mom, Dad, Little Sister, Niece, and boyfriend, all ranging in age. It highlights the importance of embracing our stories and how the more life we currently experience from our ancestors, the more we can add to our names. We carry a lot just within our names. Each of the photographs was digitally captured and displayed on matte paper in May 2024.

The choice of this was to complement their skin complexions while still being able to highlight the critical elements without glaring at the photographs. Choosing only four photos for each of them allows us to start with the standard headshot, which is the typical way for people to view you as you walk down the street initially. The last three images for each person help highlight more of their personality and the ways they want to represent themselves with their pose, outfit, jewelry, and more. The captions below are words that I choose best represent them, while they also informed me of ways they see themselves.

I chose to work with my family and boyfriend for this project because I feel like I am connected with them, and they all have been in my life in different ways. It allows me to capture how I know others might also view them, which is more standard when they all have different personalities. It also allows me to work directly with them, not as their daughter, sister, or partner, but as their photographer, and capture them in the most flattering way possible while ensuring they're comfortable in front of the camera.

I worked directly with each of them to select the backdrop color I believed would complement their skin complexion and match their personality. From there, we both were able to find complementary colors in their closet for their outfit while still allowing flexibility for them to be themselves.

- Jewel Imani